Health, Wellness, Sex and BodyDiscuss Hepatitis Outbreaks, Research, Treatments at the General Discussion; Homeless community in L.A. hit by Hep A outbreak...
California Experiences Hepatitis A Outbreak
November 24, 2017 — The U.S. ...

Homeless community in L.A. hit by Hep A outbreak...California Experiences Hepatitis A OutbreakNovember 24, 2017 — The U.S. state of California is experiencing the largest person-to-person outbreak of hepatitis A in the United States since a vaccine to prevent the liver disease became available in 1996.

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More than 600 cases have been reported in the state and 21 people have died. According to the California Department of Public Health, most of those infected are homeless or use drugs in places where sanitation has been a challenge. “There should be more hand-washing and bathrooms,” said a man who has been homeless for more than four years. Identifying himself only as J-el, he lives on Skid Row, an area in downtown Los Angeles known for its homeless population.

Far below UN standard

A recent study conducted by Skid Row advocates, organizations and residents found that the area fell short of U.N. refugee camp standards calling for one public toilet for every 20 people. According to the report, during daytime hours, with a street population of more than 3,600 people, Skid Row is as many as 164 toilets short of the U.N. standard. At night, the Skid Row population drops to about 1,700 people who live on the streets. The city of Los Angeles said there are only six public toilets in the downtown area that are open 24 hours a day.

A homeless man takes food from a trash can in Los Angeles' Skid Row area, home to the nation's largest concentration of homeless people, Oct. 28, 2017, in Los Angeles. California declared a statewide emergency because of a hepatitis A outbreak linked to homeless encampments. Comparisons are being made to conditions more commonly seen in Third World countries.

Critics said illicit activities can occur, which is a reason why some public bathrooms are not open at night. “They (the city) don’t want to let you use the toilet so it’s a problem here, and it’s somewhat of a problem with us (homeless people) as people (be)cause we mess up the toilet some of us, mess up the toilet, and then ... but at the same time, the people who don’t, they get penalized and can’t use it. They got to end up using it out here some place,” said J-el referring to the side of the street as a place where many people who are homeless use as bathrooms.

Lying on a urine-stained sidewalk, two homeless drug addicts hallucinate in Los Angeles' Skid Row area, home to the nation's largest concentration of homeless people

Unsanitary conditions can become a breeding ground for the hepatitis A virus, said Jeff Klausner, professor of medicine and public health at the University of California, Los Angeles. “Right now the outbreaks in San Diego and Los Angeles of hepatitis A is being spread by poor sanitation, person-to-person spread, and contaminated, unclean feces or inability for people to wash their hands,” Klausner said.

California Declares Emergency to Fight Hepatitis A OutbreakOctober 13, 2017 — California Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday declared a state of emergency to combat a hepatitis A outbreak that has claimed 18 lives in San Diego.

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Brown said the federally funded supply of vaccines is inadequate. His proclamation allows the state to buy vaccines directly from manufacturers and distribute them. The declaration “allows us to move very swiftly,” Dr. Gil Chavez, epidemiologist at the California Department of Public Health, told reporters. He said the state would place an order Monday or Tuesday and supplies would reach the state soon after. California has distributed 81,000 federally funded vaccine doses since the outbreak began and local jurisdictions have acquired more, but the supply is insufficient, Chavez said.

Largest outbreak since 1996

California is experiencing the largest hepatitis A outbreak in the United States transmitted from person to person, instead of by contaminated food, since the vaccine became available in 1996. The state says most of those affected are homeless, using drugs or both. There have been 576 cases throughout California, including 490 in San Diego County, 71 in Santa Cruz County and eight in Los Angeles County. Out of those, 386 people have been hospitalized, including 342 in San Diego, 33 in Santa Cruz and six in Los Angeles. No deaths have been reported outside San Diego County.

U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa on Friday called on the federal government to provide emergency funding to halt the spread of hepatitis A. He said the outbreak has brought statewide totals to three times the number of reported cases in 2015. “We cannot wait until more communities are infected and impacted before taking action,” the San Diego-area Republican wrote to the U.S. Health and Human Services Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A message seeking comment from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wasn’t immediately returned.

Outbreak began in March

San Diego County reported an outbreak in March as it grapples with a growing homeless population. Santa Cruz County reported its first cases the following month, and San Diego and Los Angeles counties declared local health emergencies in September. The outbreak was caused by strains of the 1B genetic subtype, which is rare in the United States and more commonly found in the Mediterranean and South Africa. It is spread through contact with feces, putting people with inadequate access to sanitation at highest risk. In addition to vaccination, frequent handwashing is recommended.

I got it in the NAM.. Came home and about died till my Uncle took me to the VA in E. Orange, N.J.

Got better but it was there ready to strike again.. About 2 years ago I took the treatment [costing about $65,000.00 a month for 3 months] and when tested after this treatment I was clean...

My second test is the 28th of this month.. I do hope it will be clean also..

The shame is that very few cures each year with all these other deadly accruing
health problems..

Why is that?

Lurpy, it sounds like you are talking about Hep C not Hep A. Hep C is transmitted by blood to blood contact, Hep A& B come from eating contaminated food or using contaminated utensils. Hep C can be in your system for years and years without any symptoms.

I was diagnosed with Hep C in 2003. I believe I also picked it up in military service. Although I was in VN it was not necessarily contracted there. Back when I was diagnosed I did some research and found that 2% of the general population at that time was infected with Hep C, but 12% of VN era vets were infected including those that didn't serve in country. The numbers may be different now. It is thought the HepC was transmitted from those air gun inoculations they were doing to recruits in the 1960's.

I was successfully treated with Interferon and Ribavirin. I have had an undetectable viral load for over 10 years now. Usually this treatment had a limited success ratio so I lucked out. Now they have a new medication that is supposed to be more effective. It is called Havarti or something like that (not the cheese).

I thought you were in California, but you went to my local VA in NJ. Did you move here, if so perhaps we should get together and hang out in the real world. BTW all the negative stuff you hear about the VA does not apply to the East Orange VA and the satellite clinics they have around the state. All my dealings with the VA in NJ have been positive.

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